Fate/Kaleid Liner Prisma✫Illya 3rei – 5ünfte

Pure Fanservice Part Two

So I’ll get it out of the way – here and now – then move along, shall I? This was an animation dump episode. However, does that mean all is lost? Probably not, we had onsen, so nothing is ever truly lost…

Alllllllllllll Aboard!

Clue train!

Despite how it looked, I think episode five fleshed out the show’s plot points; some new things to discuss and also some points they have brought up before. No matter the timing, they did serve to re-enforce the series’ underlying focus of our protagonists being lost in a world they didn’t make, and how woefully unprepared they might be in securing their goal. It also put some distance between them and what they might have understood the goalposts ,and even the keeper, to be by episodes end. As I pictured above, they have a clue in hand, but I’ll get to her a bit later. The episode introduces us to Erika.

Try to contain your excitement…

You know, like all things Fate, if it’s a character, it’s got a complex/convoluted background right? As of this time we are getting to hear some of the first notes that will be moving in Erika’s leitmotif, so to speak. But it’s both annoying and quite brilliant in how the character is developed during her initial scenes. How much is an act, how much of her is genuine? What is her motivation? How much of her bugged the crap out of you? I’ll say that I wasn’t really taken by her during my first read, recalling the manga. But getting further into the story, this appearance is interesting to say the very least It was gushing to say the most. This serves to add to the texture of the characters and plot later on. It was a sneaky way to let the main villain in no matter what…cause that’s the plot…Regardless of relative complexities, I command the use of spoiler tags! Anyway more on Erika later…

I guess the discussion broke down like the animation?

So as I said, getting to some things. Gil is still playing his thoughts and feelings close to his vest, as a character does the first half of a show. But here he has a touch of regret mixed in with his confessed exasperation. It’s not to much of a stretch to figure out the big old crater with castle in the middle surrounded by an illusion is magecraft related, not stupid person with a can of propane gone wrong related or random rock falls out of space related. The castle and illusion bit, I guess, is to be expected, it’s literally related to everyone’s line of work and/or hobby in this franchise. Even the crater should be expected within the professional description. But the whys and wherefores are vexing to Bazzett, Gil et.al. But, that’s a story with some depth and not for this episode, so that’s for later…

Well, she is the object of Tanaka’s obsession…

But we also must contend with the ever deepening mystery of Tanaka. She cannot recall a single memory from before the moment she came upon Illya the first episode. She’s also scatterbrained enough to not know, or care, when her life is in danger, or even when the various little values we take for granted, like staying clean, come calling. She’s the Single Synapse Person- from thought to word/deed in a single electrical gap keyed into the feels more than she is the brains. They did work in one interesting bit. She gave Illya a kiss to “make up”. But has she really done anything wrong? More like she feels she has done so in not being a better help or in being a burden, and needs to make up for it personally. Or is it mana transfer? Or something else? Still, Illy’a presence is a comfort to her, despite her lack of memories. But, how much more can be revealed is for, well, later on.

So. Much. Subtext!

So, what rhymes with what? (Mild NSFW)

…can you guess?

Show ▼

There was an awful lot of “later” happening this episode. That’s the way of the mid-season, when you get right down to it. So, Erika having a ton of hidden meaning, Tanaka having sworn to destroy the Ainsworth’s despite barely being able to dress herself, an early meeting with the main enemy that was pretty much made useless via the previous episodes’preamble by his minions ? Yeah, this thing is loaded and ready to fire whenever, right? I’m hoping the adaption sticks to the manga as that assures me that we’ll finally get some new information and some character development in the enemy camp, sooner rather than later. After all, Erika has “heard about” Illya, and we don’t really have to make too hard a guess to know from whom she heard, right?

…or why she has heard about Illya, perhaps?

About skylion

All around nerd that enjoys just about any anime genre. I love history, politics, public policy, the sciences, literature, arts...pretty much anything can make me geeky...except sports. Follow me @theskylion